Petrol blended with 25 per cent ethanol is set to be made available soon at select fuel stations across the country. The government has completed most of the groundwork for the rollout. In the initial phase, the fuel is likely to be priced lower to encourage adoption.
New Delhi: After making the sale of E20 petrol (20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol) mandatory across the country from April 1, the government is now preparing to introduce E25 petrol (25 per cent ethanol and 75 per cent petrol). Sources said the plan is almost ready and is currently being given final shape.
Since E25 cannot yet be used in all vehicles, the government plans to launch it first under a pilot project at select petrol pumps in a few major cities. These include Delhi, NCR cities such as Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, along with Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and some other metropolitan centres.
Sources said that under the ethanol blending policy of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, efforts are being intensified to promote ethanol-mixed fuels. Following the implementation of E20, the government is now moving towards E25. Initially, E25 petrol will be sold from selected fuel outlets in Delhi-NCR and other metro cities.
Under the proposed plan, one petrol storage tank at selected fuel stations will be converted for E25 dispensing, while the remaining tanks will continue supplying E20 petrol, ensuring that there is no shortage of regular blended fuel for consumers.
There is also a possibility that the government may keep E25 slightly cheaper in the beginning to encourage greater public acceptance. However, this would require the concurrence of oil marketing companies.
Talks are currently underway with major oil companies such as Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited regarding the rollout. In Delhi, the fuel may initially be sold from the petrol pump located near Pusa Institute and one or two other outlets in the capital.
According to sources, consumers may begin getting access to E25 petrol from select filling stations within the next few days.
The government is also working on introducing E30 petrol by 2030. Beyond that, it is actively exploring higher ethanol blends such as E85 and even E100 fuel for future deployment.
E25 fuel is expected to offer multiple benefits. It will not only reduce fuel costs for consumers but also help lower vehicular emissions, thereby benefiting the environment.
In addition, it will further reduce India’s dependence on crude oil imports and provide significant support to farmers through increased demand for ethanol feedstock.
However, before implementing it on a large scale, the government wants to fully understand the operational and technical challenges involved. This is why the pilot launch at select petrol pumps is being planned so that all technical aspects can be studied in detail.
Before the commercial sale of E25 begins, the government and oil companies are also holding consultations with automobile manufacturers and other stakeholders involved in the fuel transition. The objective is to identify which vehicle models currently running on Indian roads can safely use E25 petrol and which cannot.
